Saturday, January 9, 2016

Jallikattu is a South
Indian sport involving bull taming, not exactly comparable with the Western
concept - the Spanish running of the bulls. It is held in the villages of Tamil
Nadu on the eve of Mattu Pongal, one of the four days of Pongal festival
(usually January 15 on the Western calendar). Those held in Alanganallur &
Paalamedu , near Madurai, are popular.

photo credit : Dinamalar

Last year it did not
happen due to Court ban and now the mood is upbeat. A notification issued
Thursday evening by the Environment Ministry modifies its own 2011 order that
included bulls in the list of animals that “shall not be exhibited or trained
as performing animal”. A Supreme Court order in 2014 had backed the ban on
Jallikattu. The new notification says that “bulls may be continued to be
exhibited or trained as a performing animal — at events such as Jallikattu in
Tamil Nadu and bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana,
Kerala and Gujarat — in the manner by the customs of any community or practiced
traditionally under the customs or as a part of culture, in any part of the
country”. The notification mentions that this exemption is subject to the
condition that bulls are treated properly and not subjected to cruelty.

Political parties in
Tamil Nadu have welcomed the Centre’s decision, while activists and NGOs state
that it is dangerous to people involved and cruel to the animals and stated
that they would approach the court next week to get the decision revoked.

It is not only
folklore – often portrayed in Cinemas as a sport for the mighty and powerful
ones. The 2004 released movie starring
Kamal – Virumaandi, glorified it. The movie-line
revolves around the interview of two prison inmates, one a lifer and the other to be hanged. The bull
had a pride of place in the movie and reportedly a few choicest rugged bulls
were selected along with trainers and bull fighters. Not only the trainers, but the villagers who were
familiar with the events were transported from the villages to the shooting
spot to be part of the epoch-making event. Two special Kangeyam bulls were
carefully trained with great difficulties for the movie.

Ramu, the bull, that
starred the movie was a celebrity for some years – later, its owner went
bankrupt and abandoned the bull. After
changing hands, Ramu was headed for the slaughter house before he was providentially
rescued by the Cattle Care Welfare Trust in Coimbatore. Currently a resident of the Velliangiri Goshala along with 206 other Jallikattu bulls and 10 rekhala bull racers, Ramu
and others have been living a less
sedate life with the lifting of the ban as a flagging interest in the sport
revives in the state.

20 years old, Ramu is
still impressive and stands at an impressive 14 hands (1.42 m) and weighs 1,200
kgs. With his massive horns, the karuppu mayil (his coat colour) is still a
raging tornado, according to his caretakers at Velliangiri. "He's got a bad
temper and doesn't let any strangers come near him. He doesn't mind tossing up
the boys into the air just for fun - of course it isn't so much fun for the
boys," says A Nizamuddin, president, Cattle Care Welfare Trust.

Ramu was owned by one
V Santhosh from Virudhunagar, who had to give up the bull to Kannan in 2011 as
he was under financial stress following the persistent ban on the sport.
Kannan, who had the bull for another four years, also could not handle the
bull's maintenance and upkeep - which can roughly range from Rs 3,500-Rs 5000 a
month for feed alone, including labour. Ramu
or Virumandi as he's now affectionately called has taken part in more than 100
vadi vasals (starting gate) or Jallikattu events. In his prime, he must have
weighed much less than 750-800 kgs as a Jallikattu bull has to be sleek and
dexterous, says Ellango Kallanai, a farmer in Madurai. "See paruthi vethai (cotton seed) sells
at 40 Rs a kg, kaddala punnaku (groundnut residue) Rs 43 a kg, karuppeti (palm
sugar) Rs 150 a kg, paccharusi (raw rice) Rs 30 a kg and gouthama thavuda Rs 28
a kg. It runs into quite a bit of money to maintain an adult Jallikattu bull,
so farmers can't be seen as villainous for having sold them or sending to
slaughter houses. They also have to survive," says Kallanai.

Ramu like most
Kangeyam breeds gets restless. Since walking exercises haven't been enough for
him to work off his spleen, the goshala caretakers have been forced to tie
him-up next to coconut or palm trees so that he vents his anger on them instead
of other bulls tied at the goshala.

Times of India, from
which Ramu article has been excerpted – further adds that a Jallikattu winning
bull can go for as high as Rs 1.5 lakh. Normally bulls above two years of age
are used for the sport and they are roughly priced from Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000.
"But if they were going to the slaughter house, the bull's weight will be
taken into account and it can go for as little as Rs 6,000- Rs 7,000,"
says C Vivekanandan of NGO SEVA (Sustainable Agriculture & Environment
Voluntary Action). And it is from such an ignomious fate that Ramu was saved
from because of local interest in saving native cattle breeds.